After eight months of being walked on, rained on, snowed on, and exposed to the sun, Flexiteek (second from left) and Tek-Dek (third from left) appear unchanged. The real teak (far right)—and to a lesser extent MarineDeck (far left)—have lightened after exposure. Black-and-white photos are, unfortunately, less effective than color in illustrating these differences.

When we reported on Synthetic Teak Decking Systems (PS July, 2004), we found that all three systems tested—Flexiteek, Tek-Dek, and MarineDeck 2000—gave us good-looking results. And while there were differences in application techniques (and costs), we found that all three systems gave us easy-to-clean deck surfaces. We promised a follow-up report to see how the three products—along with a section of teak plywood—would hold up under actual outdoor conditions.

We have both good news and bad news. And both are the same: nothing much has changed. The bad news is bad news only in a journalistic sense—no change doesn't exactly make for a gripping story. The good news is that we…